Three Months
by asaritrash
Summary: A collection of one-shots that occur at the motor inn; set after the events in 'A New Day' and before 'Starved For Help' happens. ( expect cute father/daughter moments with Lee & Clementine; also explores CarLee romance. )


As expected, Lee Everett was unable to fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed, irritated at how uncomfortable the mattress was. The man's eyes narrow as a faint glow of light manages to peek out from behind the curtain. With the dead roaming the world now, a full moon felt increasingly more menacing than usual. What truly kept Lee awake wasn't any different from the previous night. With the way things were and the day-to-day effort in surviving, night became a time for his thoughts to unravel without pause. Lee clenched his fists in frustration, recalling how bloody his knuckles were from the broken glass, the continuous punches. _Monster. Killer. Husband. Guilty. _The cries of his wife still scraped against his skull, nearly sending him into a state of mental anguish. The sound of glass shattering…more screams, more blood. Violence was all he could remember from that day. Lee placed a hand over his temple, realizing he had no control over the thoughts that relentlessly tortured his conscious.

Lee stood up and headed to the small bathroom in the room over. Although there was no running water, the group had scrounged up a few hundred gallons-worth of bottled water. Not wanting to constantly be covered in dirt and grime, Lee filled a basin of water near the sink counter. With a tired grunt, Lee splashed some cold water on his face, the moon giving enough light to see his reflection in the mirror. Dark circles were visible beneath his eyes and it was only then he noticed the significant weight he'd lost involuntarily. Various bloodstains that had proven impossible to remove were strewn along the worn fabric that made up his undershirt's collar. "Man…" he muttered under his breath, slightly shaken by the severe exhaustion that was evident from his physical appearance.

"Did you have a bad dream too?" a voice asked from the darkness.

"Clementine?"

When they first arrived at the motel, Clementine made it clear that she wanted Lee to be nearby, stating he was the only one who could keep the monsters away. Wanting nothing more than to keep the girl safe but avoid having the others in their group get the wrong idea of his intention, Lee agreed to take the only motel rooms that were adjoined. Lee grabbed the flashlight from his bedside table, advancing towards Clementine's room, her door slightly ajar. The girl was laying on her side, face half buried in the pillow. He sat at the edge of her bed, "What are you doing up?"

She looked frightened and her eyes were wide. The girl sniffled, clutching her pillow, "It was my parents…I found them and ran over to where they were…" she let out a weak cry and sat up, "–b–but they turned into monsters when I got closer..and they tried to bite me…and…" Tears began streaming down her face again and she leaned against Lee, unknowingly wanting that sense of strength he always seemed to pass on to her.

"Aw, Clem." Lee frowned, "We're safe here" Clementine's voice broke before burying her face against the side of his shoulder. "It was only a dream, only a dream." Lee repeated, instinctively responding to the child's need for comfort. For several nights now, Clementine had barely gotten any sleep. The nightmares of her parents becoming walkers was when it all started and since then, they plagued the mind of an 8-year old girl.

"When I woke up, I-I tried going back to sleep…" Clementine stammered quietly, "–but it was too scary…"

"It's a scary situation," Lee admitted, "Just remember those bad dreams aren't real."

"…b–but walkers are real…" she lowered her head in dismay.

"I know, Clem, but they won't get you." his brow creased with potent determination. "I'll make sure of that."

"Thank you, Lee…" the girl said meekly.

For a few minutes, the two sat there, silently gaining comfort by knowing they had each other to look out for. The amount of fear Clementine's mind accumulated always seemed to diminish with Lee's mere presence. "Lee?" The child's voice had such an innocent tone and it broke Lee's heart all over again, just to be reminded of all the horrible things she had witnessed.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever have bad dreams?"

_Monster. Killer. Husband. Monster. Killer. Guilty. _

"Yes." Lee nodded gravely.

"What happens?" Clementine asks in a small voice.

"Well," the man hesitates, "I'm reminded of bad things that happened, things I said…and did– they're the sort of things I shouldn't have done or said."

"Oh…" Clementine paused, "That sounds sad."

"Sometimes."

Her eyes looked at him despairingly, "But you're okay now, right?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be okay."

"I hope so." Clementine said, giving his hand a small squeeze, "I'll try to be okay…if you do too."

Lee smiled at these simple words and nodded, "It's a deal."

Her eyes were beginning to shut and Lee stayed for a few more minutes until he felt that Clementine would be alright for the remainder of that night. Before shutting off the flashlight, Lee knelt down to pick up her baseball cap, which had fallen near the edge of the bed. Lee placed it beside her, "Goodnight, sweet pea."

Clementine drifted back to sleep, Lee's words warding off any further nightmares.


End file.
